Trouser hanger



Dec. 3, 1963 J. R. PEACH 3,112,848

TROUSER HANGER Fil ed Nov. 21, 1960 A ORNEK (/0/7/7 l e b United States Patent f 3,112,848 TROUSER HANGER John R. Peach, 823 Quincy Bldg, Topeka, Kans. Filed Nov. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 70,751 6 Claims. (Cl. 223-95) This invention relates to hangers for mens trousers and refers more particularly to such a hanger for cuffed trousers.

An object of the invention is to provide an extra-ordinarily cheap, mass prodncible hanger construction for cuffed trousers which is simple in construction, effective as a trouser support, durable and usable over along period of time though made of low cost materials such as cardboard.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trouser hanger for cuffed trousers which is made up of two identical elements of simple construction. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide a cuffed trouser hanger which will handle trousers of any length and cuff size with simple and easy insertion of the cuffs of the trousers into the hanger and removal of the trouser cuffs therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a twopiece hanger for cuffed trousers, which hanger may be engaged separately with the separate legs of the trousers and then mated to form an integral hanger adapted to support the trousers in normal vertical position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cuffed trouser hanger which is of extremely simple, inexpensive construction to permit cheap mass production, said hanger yet of efficient operative-construction whereby to safely and effectively suspend cuffed trousers over a long period of time while retaining the crease and suspended position thereof in desired manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cuffed trouser hanger which may be formed or blanked in an exceedingly simple manner from sheets or a web of material such as cardboard or plastic, the required two parts of the hanger being identical in form whereby to have no problem of rights or lefts in the assembly thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cheaply producible trouser hanger which reliably and satisfactorily supports the trousers without falling therefrom and which do not produce undesired creases or marks on trousers supported thereby.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trouser hanger of reliable construction and operability and great functional usefulness which is of minimum weight and takes up a very minimum space whereby to be extremely convenient and useful for travelers and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trouser hanger made up of two interengeable cuff receiving members, each end receiving member made entirely from one material and fashionable in one piece Without additional rivets.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trouser han er which may be very efficiently used in installing the hanger into the trouser cuffs so that a minimum time is employed and production efiiciency is increased in cleaning and pressing establishments.

Other and further obiects of the invention will appear in the course of the following description thereof.

3,13%,843 i atented Dec. 3, 1963 ice In the drawings, which form a part of the instant specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith, embodiment-s of the invention are shown and, in the various views, like numerals are employed to indicate like parts.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from above of a preferred form of the inventive trouser hanger showing separate members thereof engaging the ends of a pair of trousers prior to connection thereof to provide the integral hanger unit.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from above showing a later stage of use of the hanger elements of PEG. 1, the hanger elements engaging the cuffs of a pair of trousers, the hanger elements interengaged to form the unitary hangen'parts of the cuff of one trouser cut away to better illustrate the construction and portions of one hanger element additionally shown in dotted lines also to better illustrate the construction.

FIG. 3 is a side view of one hanger element of the preferred modification of FIGS. 1-3, inclusive.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a modification of the subject trouser hanger.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4 but showing the cooperating engagement structure to permit engagement of the hanger element of FIG. 5 with the hanger element of FIG. 4 to provide the unitary complete hanger construction of the modification.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side view of the end of a modified form of hanger showing the use of paired engaging notches to provide a universal hanger.

Referring particularly to FIG. 3, at ltl is generally designated a normally horizontally extending bar or base portion which must be of greater length than the normal width of a trouser cuff. Bar portion 10 and, indeed, the remainder of the trouser leg supporting member shown in FIG. 3, may be made of a cheap, relatively rigid material such as cardboard, plastic, metal, reinforced paper or the like. Attached to bar portion 10 intermediate the ends thereof and preferably centrally thereof is upwardly extending hook portion or member 11, here substantially rectangular in form, and extending substantially vertical, normal to bar portion it). An opening 12 is formed in one edge of said hook portion with an enlarged circular cut-out centrally of member 11 as at 13. Hook portion 11 must be of suificient height to clear the opening E2 in the lower edge thereof to the height of or slightly above the cuff engaging members to be described.

Fixed to the upper edge of or integral with bar portion '16 are cuff engaging members 14- and 15, here shown as rectangular flanges or extensions extending upwardly vertically from bar port-ion 10 and separated by slots 16 and 17 from hook portion 11. Cuff engaging members 1 and 15 are preferably of a height to extend upwardly into trouser cuffs as in FIG. 2 and abut the lower edge thereof internally whereby to partially support the trousers. The lower edge of the trousers is uppermost in FIG. 2 in suspension position. The total width of the members 14 and 15 as mounted on bar it! is preferably only slightly less than the normal width of trouser cuffs whereby to position and straighten a trouser cuff substantially entirely mounted thereon. The width of slots 16 and 17 must be sutficient to permit one thickness of a trouser cuff to pass therethrough.

On the outboard portions of bar portion 10 are positioned slots 18 and 19, in FIG. 3 extending upwardly.

In FIG. 1, on the right, is shown a mating trouser leg supporting member having downwardly extending slots 13' and 19' whereby to fit over and engage the bar portion of a trouser leg supporting member as shown in FIG. 3.

The opposing and mating member of a trouser leg supporting member as in FIG. 3 is shown on the right in FIGS. 1 and 2. All of the parts thereof identical with the parts of the member of FIG. 3 are numbered the same, but primed, it being understood that the only difference therein being the downwardly-extending slots of the mating members.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the manner of operation of the subject trouser hanger. In the stage of FIG. 1, a pair of engageable trouser leg supporting members, one as in FIG. 3, the other ha ving oppositely directed engaging end slots on bar portion 16, are individually engaged with the trouser cuffs of a pair of trousers. In such engagement, each cuff engaging member 14 and or 14 and 15 is slid upwardly into the outside cuff portion of the inverted trouser leg with the cuff portion intermediate of the engaged portions thereof passed inwardly of hook portions 11 and 11'. Also inwardly positioned of the entire trouser leg supporting member is the remainder of the lower end of the trouser leg and cuff thereon.

Reference to FIG. 2 shows the final engagement in trouser supporting position of the two trouser leg supporting members with slots 18 and 18' engaged, the bar portions 10 and 10' positioned outside of the trouser lower ends, as well as the hook portions 11 and 11, with the cuff engaging members 14, 14, 15 and 15' inserted under the outside cuff portions. In this manner, the entire lower end of the trousers, both legs, is enclosed, with the en gagement in the outside portions of the cuffs. Hooking the hook members 11 over a support, such as a closet pole or clothes supporting bar will complete the trouser hanging operation.

To disengage the trouser leg supporting members from the trousers, the trouser hanger is removed from the support by disengaging the hooks therefrom simultaneously, then sliding upwardly the bar portion 10' having the downwardly-extending slots 18 and 19' whereby to disengage the ends of the bar portions. The trouser legs then may be separated as in FIG. 1 and each individual trouser leg supporting member disengaged from its trouser leg cuff by sliding downwardly, thereby freeing members 14, 14', 15 and 15 from the engaged cuffs. The trousers may then be returned to use with the trouser leg support members either being stored in flat position or returned to the closet as a nonused hanger unit, engaged as in FIG. 2, but without trousers supported thereby.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, therein is shown a modified form of the invention particularly adapted to a more rigid and dimensionally stable material such as plastic, metal, etc. In the case of metal, a resilient metal such as an aluminum alloy or aluminum must be employed to permit bowing of one of the trouser leg supporting elements. Cardboard or reinforced paper is not as suitable for this modification.

Referring to FIG. 4, in this modification, a pair of U-shaped cuff engaging members and 31 are fixed in inverted position in laterally spaced position, one from the other by bar portions 32 and 33, which connect at their inward ends to an inverted V-shaped hook base 34, to the top of which is fixed a curved hook member 35. Fixed to the outward legs of inverted U-shaped cuff engaging members 30 and 31 are short legged extensions 36 and 37, each carrying an opening therein, 38 and 39, respectively. The space between the inner legs 30b and 31b relative to V-rnember 34 must be sufficient for a thickness of trouser cuffs to pass therethrough in the manner of slots 16 and 17 to the form of FIG. 3. Likewise the clearance between the hook member 35 and member 31 must permit such clearance. The width or distance between outer legs 39a and 30b of cuff engaging members 30 and 31 must be of the same magnitude as the lateral extensions of cuff engaging members 14 and 15 of the form of FIG. 3, namely, substantially the width of a trouser cuff.

In FIG. 5 there is shown the mating trouser leg supporting member for that shown in FIG. 4, wherein, instead of the elongate leg portions 36 and 37, probes 40 and 41 are provided adapted to fit into openings 38 and 39, respectively. The parts of FIG. 5 which are identical to the parts of the FIG. 4 member are numbered identically, but primed.

The modification of FIGS. 4 and 5 operate identically to that of FIGS. 13, inclusive, save in the engagement. Thus, the outside folds of trouser cuffs of legs of a pair of trousers are engaged in the same manner as FIG. 1, with the individual members of FIGS. 4 and 5. Once this is done, the members carrying the individual trouser legs are moved together and the engaging means coupled as in FIG. 2, save that the probes 4t} and 41 fit into the openings 38 and 39 whereby to bow slightly the bodies of the trouser leg engaging members. The engaged trousers then may be hung up in the manner described previously. To remove the members, they are merely disengaged from the support, then the end engagements uncoupled to produce the situation of FIG. 1, then each trouser leg supporting member disengaged from the cuff by moving downwardly to disengage the members 30, 31, 30' and 31' from the trouser cuffs. Again, the trouser leg supporting members may be stored flat and separately or reengaged and hung up as an empty hanger.

FIG. 6 illustrates a modification of the structures in FIGS. 4 and 5 wherein each end member is modified from the probe end opening construction of FIGS. 4 and 5 to carry opposed, equally sized slots 42 and 43 therein with each end of each cuff engaging member having such paired slots, each cuff engaging member is interchangeable, one with the other, so long as the hook portions point in the same direction. The use of resilient materials in the cuff engaging members compensates for any slight vertical misalignment of the paired hook members of engaged cuff engaging members. This type of end engaging member also is employed with the construction of FIGS. 13, inclusive, provided the end extensions are deepened sufficiently to receive the like depth notches.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A trouser hanger comprising a pair of trouser leg supporting members each comprising a normally horizontally extending lower bar portion, an upper hook member connected to said bar portion intermediate the ends thereof, extending upwardly therefrom and adapted to engage a support, a pair of cuff engaging members, one fixed to the bar portion on each side of the hook member extending upwardly and spaced therefrom, and means on each of said bar portions outboard of said cuff engaging members for removably engaging each of the bar portion ends of juxtaposed trouser leg supporting members.

2. A trouser hanger as in claim 1 wherein said removable engaging means comprise paired engageable slots in said juxtaposed bar portions.

3. A trouser hanger as in claim 2 wherein said paired engageable slots in said juxtaposed bar portions include one of said bar portions having a downwardly extending slot and the other bar portion having an upwardly extending slot.

4. A trouser hanger as in claim 1 wherein each bar portion at each end thereof has both upwardly and downwardly extending slots.

5. A trouser hanger as in claim 1 wherein said removable engaging means comprise opposed openings and engaging probes therefor on said juxtaposed bar portions.

6. A trouser hanger comprising a pair of trouser leg supporting members each comprising a pair of cufl engaging members connected to yet laterally spaced from one another and normally extending substantially vertically, a hook member connected to said cuff engaging members, positioned therebetween, and means connected to said cuff engaging members on the sides thereof away from said 6 hook member to removably interengage said pair of trouser leg supporting members in such fashion as to align in spaced opposition said cuif engaging members and said hook members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,057,045 Moore Oct. 13, 1936 2,549,588 Fillenbaum Apr. 17, 1951 2,617,565 Suydam Nov. 11, 1952 2,720,349 Finkel Oct. 11, 1955 2,769,586 Lee Nov. 6, 1956 2,792,978 Cudd May 21, 1957 2,799,438 Cote July 16, 1957 

1. A TROUSER HANGER COMPRISING A PAIR OF TROUSER LEG SUPPORTING MEMBERS EACH COMPRISING A NORMALLY HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING LOWER BAR PORTION, AN UPPER HOOK MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID BAR PORTION INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A SUPPORT, A PAIR OF CUFF ENGAGING MEMBERS, ONE FIXED TO 